Where We Left Off
by BaconWrappedRainbows
Summary: SEQUEL TO CHICKEN SOUP. Nathan Detroit has gotten a chance to start again; new life, new job, new home... But why is every fiber of his being demanding for Brannigan? And is his recollection involving soup nothing but a fantasy? Kind of AU? Fluff. Nannigan, duh. Not canon with my other Guys and Dolls fics. Rated T for safety. No lemons, no Mpreg. Slightly OOC. (M/M) Enjoy!


**A/N: Whelp, here this is, as requested by consultingtimelord and various others. Sorry if this isn't as good as Chicken Soup, as that was totally meant to be a oneshot, and Nannigan was supposed to end there and never return… I had to come up with something to make the story go on, so yeah…**

**Alrighty, so, without further ado, this story!**

**-BWR, from inside her mind bouncy castle**

As he patrolled down the bustling street, the constable pulled his cap further over his eyes, in an attempt to block out the blinding midday sun. After spending years of his life being mostly nocturnal, the light was somewhat alien to him. But the change in his lifestyle couldn't be more welcome. Nathan Detroit surprised even himself at how much he loved being a good guy for once. When he first joined the New York police force two months ago, at a certain Lieutenant's suggestion of course, he noticed a change in himself; it was as if he were infinitely happier as a policeman than a gambler, as if his life were more complete this way. He was proud of himself for so successfully adopting his new lifestyle, and so was his now roommate, Tyrone Brannigan.

Roommate. And friend. That was all that he was.

With the absence of Adelaide in his life, Nathan was almost stress-free, carefree… But he was desperate to love someone. He wanted to hold someone close and to be held close and to mumble quiet "I love yous" into someone's ear. It wasn't just anyone he wanted, either. It was Brannigan.

He didn't quite know why or how, but he loved Tyrone Brannigan. He had only struggled with his attraction to another man for a while. He accepted that; it was just… what he thought had founded that attraction was strange… It seemed to him that there was a fuzzy memory of loving Brannigan. A memory of his imprisonment, in which the Lieutenant comforted Detroit in his darkest hours, fed him… chicken soup, was it? Although it seemed like after that they cuddled and kissed, Nathan dismissed at least that part of the memory as a dream. It seemed impossible that Brannigan would have been so affectionate to him. Plus, they were nothing more than friends… their relationship was purely platonic. If it had really happened, wouldn't they be in a romantic relationship?

Constable Detroit usually had to satisfy his infatuation with short, longing glances in his friend's general direction, and, if he was lucky, a hand lingering on a shoulder for a second longer than normal. That and, of course, allowing his patrol route to coincidentally meet Ty's. Like he was right now.

Soon enough, he noticed another police officer sauntering towards him. Nathan didn't need to see his face to know it was Brannigan. Anyone who paid as much attention to the Lieutenant as Detroit did could recognize him by his strikingly average height that contradicted the proud way he carried himself. Although it may have only been Nathan that could recognize his friend solely by the way he walked.

"Well, hello there, Constable!" Brannigan called, once they were close enough to each other.

Nathan smiled in response. He loved the way Tyrone addressed him by his rank, even in casual conversation.

"So, how's it going today?"

"Very good. You?"

"Well, thank you. Anything interesting happen?"

"No."

Brannigan smirked. "Same here."

Nathan practically melted at the other man's unknowingly seductive smirk. There were so many fatally attractive things he did while being completely unaware of how perfect he looked to Detroit. Another thing that made Nathan love him even more.

The Lieutenant sighed before continuing, "Nothing seems to happen around here now that you've stopped running that crap game."

Nathan nodded. They both knew that Nathan's past was a sensitive subject, but it was true. Nothing did happen anymore.

"Although it's probably better that way," said Tyrone, "I'd rather be bored than completely stressed!" he laughed a bit.

"True…" Detroit agreed quietly.

"Well, I'd best be off. See you later, Constable Detroit."

Nathan smiled, watching his friend turn on his heel and walk away. He stared for longer than would be considered normal before he finally broke his gaze away from Brannigan and his spellbinding backside.

**(A/N: Tee hee)**

Nathan was sitting on the couch, gazing wistfully out the window. The sun had set; the crowds on the sidewalk were thinning. This used to be his favorite time of day, when he would gamble, or, sometimes, go out with Adelaide. He wondered what had become of his ex-fiancée. Had she moved on? Was she already seeing another man? Did she miss Nathan?

"What're you up to, Nathan?" came the Lieutenant's familiar voice. Detroit didn't break his gaze from the window.

"Just thinking." he answered quietly.

"What about?"

Nathan shrugged in response. He heard his roommate's footsteps and then felt the couch sink down beside him as Tyrone sat. Nathan noticed how close Brannigan had sat to him, and it was driving him crazy.

They were silent for a moment. Nathan kept staring into the distance, trying to ignore his urge to turn around and taste the Lieutenant's lips against his…

"Nathan, can I ask you something?"

Detroit's heart quickened at Brannigan's words. He finally turned to face his friend, mindful of the practically non-existent gap between their shoulders.

"Um… okay…"

"I know that we decided not to talk about it but… Do you miss your past?"

Nathan was startled at the sudden question. His mouth opened slightly as he tried to think of a response. But his mind drew a confused blank. Brannigan's shining brown eyes inches away from his didn't help either.

Brannigan gave another unwittingly gorgeous smirk. "I guess that's kind of a hard question—"

"—But I think I can answer it," Nathan said, finding sudden courage, "I… miss some of it. I don't really miss Adelaide or the stress of runnin' a crap game, but I do miss… some things."

"You miss being in love?"

Nathan dropped his gaze suddenly and nodded a kind of distracted, microscopic nod.

"Are you desperate for love? I mean, enough so that you'd be willing to pick up where we left off three months ago?"

Nathan's eyes met the other man's again. "What do you mean?"

Brannigan chuckled. "I know we've kind of pretended that it never happened, but don't act like you don't remember that night before I paid your bail. I haven't forgotten for an instant how your lips felt against mine…"

Detroit blushed. "Wait… that… was real?" he nearly whispered.

Brannigan didn't respond, he just stared somewhat impatiently into Detroit's dark eyes.

Nathan didn't need an answer, either. It was as if, just in that sentence, the last piece fell into place, his once broken mind was now good as new, rebuilt, reprogrammed, but now with every fragment of his brain lighting up 'Brannigan'.

"I'm more than desperate enough," the Constable muttered, before lurching into Tyrone's waiting arms.

The Lieutenant smiled against Nathan's cheek, before pressing his lips to Detroit's in a long-awaited kiss. As soon as their lips met, their actions became somewhat autonomous. It seemed totally natural to both of them as they eyes slowly closed, their arms wrapping tightly around each other's shoulders. It felt like second nature to both of them as Brannigan leaned back on the couch, bringing Nathan Detroit down on top of him. And it felt like instinct that made both men know exactly how their lips fit together, exactly the angle at which they needed to hold their heads, exactly how long they could kiss before they needed to breathe.

Once that dreaded moment arrived, Nathan collapsed on top of the other man, burying his face into his chest. Tyrone wrapped his arms around Detroit's shoulders, squeezing him tightly, as if a reminder to them both that this was actually happening. Nathan moaned into the Lieutenant's chest as he squeezed harder.

They lay there in silence, for a long while. Nathan listened to his roommate's heartbeat and his steady breathing, feeling his chest rise and fall with every inhale and exhale. Brannigan busied himself with stroking Nathan's hair, his fingers gently massaging his friend's head.

Finally, Constable Detroit broke the silence, muttering: "Ty… Is it too early to tell you I love you?"

The Lieutenant smiled, sighing contentedly, "No, because I love you too."


End file.
